FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 30, 2007

Agronomists, Crop and Soil Scientists Convene in New Orleans Nov. 4-8 to Discuss Food and Environmental Sustainability

WHAT: 2007 ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meetings

WHERE: Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Hall A

WHEN Sunday, Nov. 4 - Thursday, Nov. 8, 2007

DETAILS: What was the impact of Hurricane Katrina on soil quality and agriculture? How can soil help lessen the impacts of climate change? To what extent can biofuels help make America energy independent? These topics and others of public interest will be discussed at the International Annual Meetings of the American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), and Soil Science Society of America (SSSA).

More than 4,000 soil scientists, crop scientists, and agronomists from around the world will meet at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center to discuss climate change, food security, biofuels, sustainable environments, carbon trading, organic agriculture and more. Included will be a special presentation on soil clean-up and agricultural impacts post-Hurricane Katrina. With 5.6 million dollars in economic impact, this show is just one in a series of important, consecutive citywide conferences taking place in New Orleans this fall.

MAJOR EVENTS/NEWSWORTHY SPEAKERS:

• Nov. 4, 7-8 pm: Nobel Peace Prize recipient Norman Borlaug and Rob Horsch, Gates Foundation, on agricultural technologies to fight world hunger., Hilton Riverside, Grand Ballroom AD.
• Nov. 5, 8:15-9 am: Iceland President Olafur Grimsson on how Iceland can be a laboratory for global climate change solutions (video message) with a live Q&A at 9 am, La Louisiane Ballroom, Morial Convention Center.
• Nov. 5, 5:30-6 pm: President of Bangladesh Iajuddin Ahmed on problems of global warming and arsenic poisoning, with a Q&A at 6 pm, Rooms R03-R05, Morial Convention Center.
• Nov. 6, 8-9 am: Henry Thompson, director, Cancer Prevention Lab, Colorado State University, on ways to make food crops healthier to fight chronic diseases, La Louisiane Ballroom, Morial Convention Center.
• Nov. 7, 8-9 am: Mike Palmer, University of Oklahoma, and Ken Cassman, University of Nebraska, on biofuels from contrasting points of view, La Louisiane Ballroom, Morial Convention Center.
• Nov. 7, 1:45-3:45 pm & Nov. 8, 8-10 am: Charles Groat, University of Texas, William Jenkins, Louisiana State University, and others on Hurricane Katrina’s impacts on soil and agriculture, Rooms R02 and 207, respectively, Morial Convention Center.

CONFERENCE WEBSITE: www.acsmeetings.org

PRESS CREDENTIALS: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Press Room: R06-R09, Morial Convention Center

MEDIA CONTACTS:
ASA-CSSA-SSSA: Sara Uttech; 608-268-4948 until Nov. 2, 608-772-0217 Nov. 3-8; suttech@agronomy.org

New Orleans CVB: Tara Letort; 504-566-5048, 504-566-5019; tletort@neworleanscvb.com or Mary Beth Romig, 504-606-8430, mbromig@neworleanscvb.com;

Morial Convention Center: New Orleans: Rosalie Mortillaro, 504-582-3027, rmortillaro@mccno.com

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